1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a touch sensing apparatus and an operating method thereof that maximize a duration of a sleep mode by simplifying driving signal application and signal sensing operations in the sleep mode to reduce power consumption and allow for switching to an active mode only with respect to a valid touch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Touch sensing apparatuses such as a touch screen, a touch pad, and the like, as user interface apparatuses attached to a display apparatus to provide an intuitive input method to a user, have been widely applied to a variety of electronic apparatuses such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a navigation device and the like, in recent years. In particular, recently, with the increase in demand for smart phones, the rate at which a touch screen has been adopted as a touch sensing apparatus capable of providing various input methods in a limited form factor has increased on a daily basis.
Touch screens adopted in portable electronic apparatuses may be largely classified into resistive type and capacitive type touch screens, according to a touch sensing method. Since the capacitive type touch screen is advantageous in that a life-span thereof may be relatively extended, and various input methods and gestures can be easily implemented, the adoption rate of the capacitive type touch screen has steadily increased. In particular, it is easier to implement a multi-touch interface in the capacitive type touch screen than in the resistive type touch screen, and as a result, the capacitive type touch screen is widely applied to an electronic apparatus such as a smart phone, or the like.
Touch screens have come to be widely adopted, even in home appliances and industrial machines, but a portable electronic apparatus is perhaps of the greatest importance in the field of touch screens. Unless the portable electronic apparatus is in a condition to continuously receive power through a charger, a USB cable, or the like, all modules in the portable electronic apparatus are necessarily operated on power supplied from a battery, and as a result, a module which can be stably operated while consuming a low amount of power or an operating method thereof needs to be applied. Due to the fact that it is uncertain when the application of a user's touch will be carried out, the touch screen is continuously operated in the active mode, and thus, a large amount of power may be consumed to thereby decrease a battery charge and reduce applicability of the touch screen to a mobile apparatus.